St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson wants his side to build on their Premier Sports Cup run so far and achieve “something memorable” at Hampden.
The Paisley side have enjoyed huge success under Robinson in the past few years, with successive top six finishes and European qualification but a cup run has eluded the team up until now.
Saturday’s semi-final clash against Motherwell gives the team the chance to take another step towards silverware, with the team not having lifted a major trophy since they won the same competition under Danny Lennon in 2013.
Robinson believes the current crop of players deserve plaudits for what they have achieved so far and wants them to press on and get tangible reward for the work they have put in.
“People say we’ve had a really good cup run so far but in two years’ time nobody will remember that,” the manager said.
“I believe this group of players have given the fans so much. They’ve raised the profile of this football club and defied the odds.
“Nobody knows what you’re working with day in, day out. We’ve changed the whole perception of this football club. We’re a top six football club and we’re not top six infrastructure or staffing.
“We don’t have that yet. What we have is quality. We have low numbers and real quality.
“I would like them to finish that off, to achieve something that will be memorable. To do that you have to get over this first hurdle of the semi-final to give yourself that opportunity.”
Robinson laughed off comments from people saying there is a vast contrast in styles in Saturday’s game, after Motherwell received praise for their passing play while his own team have been dismissed as “physical” and insists his team are a good footballing side who should focus on their own quality this weekend.
“People that talk like that watch two games a season,” he said. “We are a very good football team.
“Our players that are over six foot are really poor in the air and I wouldn’t call them physical.
“It actually makes me laugh when I hear that. They’re very good footballers, very good technically.
“When you beat teams, when you cause teams problems as little St Mirren, there has to be a reason.
“You can’t just be a good team, you have to be physical, dirty, you have to be hammer throwers. So we just laugh.”
The manager revealed that Miguel Freckleton is a big doubt after picking up an injury in the midweek game against Hearts, with a late decision to be made on the defender, who has impressed since joining in the summer.
Freckleton scored against Hearts and was denied a second goal by a controversial VAR call that ruled Mark O’Hara was offside in the build-up. Following a disallowed goal against Aberdeen and a free-kick decision that gave Dundee United an opportunity to equalise last weekend, it made for a hat-trick of contentious calls against the team in recent games.
Robinson, who has just returned from a touchline ban, was careful with his words when asked about the disallowed goal against Hearts but said he didn’t want to give any oxygen to the debate around Scottish referees.
“I want to treat the decision with the contempt it deserves,” he said.
“I want to concentrate on how good we were. We were excellent. We were really, really good.
“Decisions have gone against us I the last three games but the more I give to those decisions, the more referees dominate the conversation.
“I want my players to dominate the conversation and recognised for how good they are.
“There are silly, loose comments from people who don’t watch football or are making excuses for their own performances.
“I just want to concentrate on how good the players are, and how good they have been for this football club. I’ll not put too much on the decisions that everybody in the stadium can see were wrong.”
St Mirren captain Mark O’Hara shared his excitement about the weekend’s semi-final and what will be the 29-year-old’s first game at the national stadium. The former Kilmarnock, Dundee and Motherwell midfielder said he had been to Hampden to see Coldplay in concert but that finally playing on the big stage would be a dream come true.
“It’s been a long time coming,” he said.
“I think I’ve made it to the stage just before the semi-final quite regularly and there’s been a bit of heartbreak so the relief when that last penalty went in at Rugby Park (5-3 penalty shoot-out win) was overwhelming.
“I’m 29 now and you do worry – is it never going to happen?
“I’m thankful that it has happened and I don’t want it to be a one-off.
“I think anyone that’s related to me will be there tomorrow. I’ve got a lot of tickets. It’s a moment for me and my family that I’m sure we’ll all savour.
“It’s something that you dream of growing up and to lead the team out will be special.”
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